Treehouses to be resort rooms, not DVC

[DisFlan]

A nice man from DVC Quality Assurance called today to ask if everything had gone smoothly with our recent purchase and to see that we had gotten everything. (We did, and the blue cards came last Friday.)

I told him we were probably going to look at an add-on in the near future and that my husband would buy SSR for the Treehouses alone. He groaned and said they'd love to sell us SSR, but not with the Treehouses. The Treehouses are definitely being rebuilt, but they are going to be regular resort rooms, not part of SSR or DVC.

I don't know if this is any more concrete than any of the other rumors, but he didn't hesitate with his answer. At any rate, that's my nugget of info for all you other Treehouse fans.


DisFlan

 

[Pa@okw95]

The tree houses were never part of the DVC equation. I believe they are really in a state of disrepair. They would have to re-built for sure, so near the water and elements, they must be a real mess by now. I think if they were re-built they would come under great demand given the location, out of the way look they have to them.

 

[tjkraz]

Phase 3 of SSR is going on the site of the Fairway Villas, not to be confused with the Treehouses.

 

[wdwfan1]

Just got back. We were told at the member center that the tree houses were being renovated and would be used as "overflow" for OKW and SSR.

 

[chrissyk]

Are the treehouses for 1 party only, or do they have multiple hotel rooms in them? If they are for 1 party, it would be really cool to end up there if you were "overflow" at OKW or SSR!

 

[dairyou]

Can someone tell what the treehouses are? Are they really treehouses?

We stayed in a treehouse in Oregon and it was great fun!

I'd be definately interested

Deb

 

[Luckymommyx2]

Better yet, does anyone have a link to some pics of the tree houses?

 

[LisaSt]

The tree houses are down a little road between OKW and SSR on the right hadn side. If you have ever takent eh boat from OKW to DTD you will see them on the left. I hope they bring them back to use as they are amazing and we would love to stay in them.

 

[yecats]

I haven't stayed in one but years ago when the villas were open we would drive past them. I saw them last year passing them up on the boatride to DTD from PO. They are rather cute and older brochures from mid 1990's show pictures of them (there an odd octagon shape). Each unit is more of a home so it would only house one family at a time. Most of those treehouse units have a living room/dining room kitchen area and one bedroom upstairs and I believe one or two bedrooms downstairs. I don't have those old brochures with me now but they were cute and certainly in a quite area. You would definately need a car if you stayed in one and looking at them from the river last year, they were in need of repair. Upstairs area has a deck and looks over some of the golf fairways.

To LuckymommyX2, I see your taking a cruise on the Grandeur of the Seas. I took their repositioning cruise out of N.O. back in May and had a lot of fun on the boat. Have a great time.

 

[kweaver]

Here's an exterior picture from 99.

http://www.disneypix.com/Resorts/Villas/1999b/Villas0399-01.htm

More exterior pictures with some details about the interior spaces.

http://www.mouseplanet.com/dtp/wdwguide/4_Accommodations/VDI_photo_tour_treehouse_villas.htm

I know I've seen interior pictures on the web...I'll try to find them.

 

[Cruelladeville]

I met a CM who was staying in the Treehouse Villas, he said they are using them as overflow for the college kids who are down there working.

The problem with the Treehouse villas is that they can't be torn down because they are in a designated wilderness area, that's what a guide told us, so they have no choice except to use them as they are. He said that at the beginning they had planned to use the Treehouse villas as part of SSR, back when the guides heard that they were going to build SSR instead of building at the golf course. That's when they found out that they couldn't build in a wilderness area, even on their own property.

If I remember correctly, the Treehouse villas hold 12 people. It's a VERY early version of a grande villa, and it's quite spacious in there. They are very old, having been built around the time that Poly was being built, I think, I stayed in them a really long time ago.

 

[Luckymommyx2]

Thanks Katie for the link to the pics. I've never stayed there but I do remember seeing them now. It would be sorta' neat to be able to go in one and look around...not sure about staying in it though.

yecats, I am really looking forward to sailing on her in May. We've never been on a cruise longer than 4 nights so this will be a treat. I'm really torn now because we just bought into SSR and I really want to go 'home' but it'll have to wait until next September or December because of the cruise.

 

[Pa@okw95]

The tree houses had a capacity of 6 with one queen in each bedroom upstairs and a double in the bedroom downstairs. They rented for about $340 and that was 10 years ago.

 

[sgtdisney]

I will concur with Pa@OKW here. The treehouses are not large enough to hold 12. I stayed there with my family a couple of times in the 80s before DVC was started. At the time I was there they had 2 bedrooms, each with a bathroom. Both bedrooms had a queen sized bed. You could either enter the unit from a large deck on the 2nd floor or through a door on the first floor. When we were there in the 80s I don't recall them using the first floor as a bedroom at that time, but I could be wrong. I know in recent years they used the first floor as a bedroom. I am pretty sure the couch in the living room folded out at the time I was there.

The treehouse has a circular staircase inside to go to the 2nd floor. There was a small galley style kitchen a dining area and a living area as well. I remember having some old pictures of the inside. If I can find them I will try to scan them. What was neat was every morning there would be a peacock on our deck every time we stayed there. It really was pretty fun to be in the middle of nature. Hopefully they will reopen them in some form or fashion. I enjoyed staying there.

 

[chickie]

I actually stayed several times in the treehouses, but this was 15 years ago or so. They had a livingroom, diningroom, kitchen, and 2 bedrooms upstairs, each with its own bathroom. The downstairs had a pull out couch only, and it always seems a little musty. The location was great, real wilderness-y. We had a large deck and often would see a peacock or other little animals walking across it. The golf course was right through the woods, and we could rent a golf cart for the whole stay.
They aren't really treehouses, but just set above ground level.

They were really neat to stay in, and I have great memories of staying there.

 

[cindy_k]

Here's some outside pictures:
http://www.mouseplanet.com/dtp/wdwguide/4_Accommodations/VDI_photo_tour_treehouse_villas.htm

There was a website with the floorplans of the Treehouse, I remember looking at it right before SSR opened, wondering if they were going to fix them up to use for DVC.

It would be neat to stay in one.

Have fun!
Cindy in NY

 

[Candace]

On a recent boat ride from OKW, the driver told us that there had been plans to tear them down, but they are in a protected wetlands area, and demolishing them is not an option. They are all being refurbished accorcding to him, and you can see which ones are being worked on, and which ones are not. I think it would be fun to stay in them at some point.

 

[trogan]

We stayed in the treehouses in 1997 and they were a blast. We had three couples and 2 three year olds and there was plenty of room. The upstairs had 2 bedrooms with queen beds and the downstairs was a full size bed suspended between two posts-very cool! It was a little musty and with toddlers the bus stops were a bit of a walk, but it was neat to open the door in the morning and be greeted by a peacock. If they do reopen them I would definitely stay in them again just for the experience.

 

[buzz5985]

I have also stayed in a Treehouse. I remember it was my "surprise" that trip. We traveled with another couple and we also had our neice who was 9 going on ten (still child rate). I just turned 45 and I am feeling old reading this thread. Well that neice just turned 25!!!

But what I remember was what others remembered. Only I remember having to climb up to the second floor to get in. You entered into the kitchen/dining area. 2 bedrooms upstairs. One bedroom downstairs, plus the laundry room. We also rented golf carts, and we took them to dinner, and drove home through the golf course, and the sprinklers came on half way home. LOL What a great memory.

 

[laceemouse]

This thread is making me feel really OLD. I stayed in a treehouse with my family when I was in High School, the mid 70's!!!! They were in great shape at the time, LOL! We would love to take our kids and stay there, it was very quiet and secluded. BTW, DTD was called Lake Buena Vista at the time and we ate sea food on the Empress Lilly (now Fultons.) What a great memory!!! Lacee